Peter Sagan showed his Classics form is in fine, well, form with a win at Friday’s E3 Harelbeke semi-Classic in a highly tactical finale.

The win offered Sagan a vital rebound from his ride at Milan-Sanremo last Sunday, where he finished a surprising 10th in the sprint, and showed he’s still on target for the Tour of Flanders.

“This win is very important for me,” he said at the finish. “With so many strong riders here [it] makes the success more precious.”

The Harelbeke course features a number of the same climbs that will factor in Flanders, and nervous racing made for a crash-filled day that saw Sagan, Sky’s Ian Stannard and Omega Pharma–Quick-Step’s Tom Boonen, among others, hit the tarmac at one point or another.

“There were narrow roads, a lot of crashes, up and down, left-right,” said OPQS’s Niki Terpstra, who made the winning move. “It was really chaotic.”

The result was a disorganized pack on the final major obstacles of the day, the climbs of the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont. At the top of the Kwaremont, with the field stretched out down the narrow, cobbled street, Sagan made his move.

Just three riders—Sky’s Geraint Thomas and the OPQS tandem of Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh—were alert, strong enough and well positioned to go with him. Boonen was nursing an injured hand, while Trek Factory Racing’s Fabian Cancellara was caught in traffic.

The quartet swiftly built a lead of 30 seconds on the chase. Despite the presence of Cancellara, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and others, there was no hauling back the break, and with two riders up ahead Classics powerhouse OPQS refused to chase.

In the final kilometers, OPQS tried to play its numerical advantage with multiple attacks by Vandenbergh, but Sagan and Thomas adroitly neutralized every move, reducing it to a four-rider sprint handily won by Sagan.

“After Milan-Sanremo I immediately turned the page,” said Sagan. “I suffered a lot [there], I was freezing and I wasn’t able to get the result I wanted. This morning I was really determined to test my condition in a normal situation and the result was great. It’s the best way to start the Belgium Classics season and a big boost of confidence for the next events.”

Harelbeke kicks off a busy season of northern cobbled races. Many of today’s starters will try their luck again Sunday in Gent-Wevelgem, then Tuesday–Thursday’s Three Days of De Panne, followed by Flanders on Sunday, April 6.